Body Heat is s a dramatic, modern day film noir, set in the hot atmosphere of Miranda Beach, Florida.

The alluring, crafty, and sultry femme fatale "Matty Walker" (Kathleen Turner, who spoofed her own role in The Man With Two Brains (1983)) seduces corruptible, dim-witted, naive, and incompetent attorney Ned Racine (William Hurt), to convince him to kill her husband Edmund (Richard Crenna). She is interested in Ned because he isn't very intelligent:

You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man.

She uses everything as an instrument of seduction, including incredibly sweaty and sexy love-making and lewd suggestive dialogue, to manipulate his emotions so that he will help plot the murder: "Do it!" "I need you so badly." "I want you right now more than I ever have!" "I'd kill myself if I thought this thing would destroy us." He complains: "I'm red; I'm sore." "You shouldn't wear that body!"

This movie was originally slated to be shot in New York/New Jersey. It was moved to Florida because of a teamsters strike. When the script was changed the Florida, the technical direct failed to switch to Florida laws.

Actors William Hurt and Kathleen Turner wanted the crew to feel comfortable filming their love scenes. So they lined up the crew and both actors introduced themselves to each crew member. When they did this, both stars were naked.

Christopher Reeve was offered the lead but turned it down after saying, "I didn't think I would be convincing as a seedy lawyer."

A key plot point of "Body Heat" hinges on the resemblance of Kim Zimmer to Kathleen Turner. Kim Zimmer replaced Kathleen Turner when she left the soap opera "The Doctors".